Quote:
Originally Posted by KC1993
I was hoping it would go at least 65 mph as I need it on the highway a lot. It's a cool looking bus that I would love fixing up. I live in Lansing.
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Sorry, all, I know this is long...
Just my $0.02 here... But sorry to say, KC1993, 65 mph with a 1964 bus's original equipment is not likely to happen. The six-bangers generally got lower rear gears to compensate for the reduced engine size. Not sure what transmissions were used in 1964, but I highly doubt it has more than 3 forward gears, combined with a likely axle ratio of about 4.33 - 5.29... Guess it depends on how lucky you're feeling. The bigger the vehicle and engine, the riskier it gets over 3500 rpm.
While I love the vibe of a 60s bus and the idea of building a skoolie with one, if you want 65 mph cruising and decent fuel economy, it's not going to happen without a modern trans and higher axle gear swap, if this bus is truly original. If you're looking to fix this thing up and want such benefits, you will need to swap the engine and transmission for something slightly more modern. You don't mention what chassis this bus is. However, I will take a shot in the dark here. Mechanically-injected diesels are far easier to swap than modern emission-equipped diesels and gassers, with some exceptions.
A 5 or 6-speed manual with 3.55-3.73 gears would probably do well on fuel mileage and still give a nice cruising speed.
As to engines, I recommend keeping it simple. Pre-90s gas V8, diesels up to around 2000 or so... If you go diesel, consider hydroboost or an engine-driven vacuum pump if the bus has power brakes. Possible engine swap candidates...
429/460 385-series Ford V8. Don't get fooled into buying a 370, they had sodium valves and they burned easily.
7.3 IDI diesel, as seen in late-model F-series. DON'T go PowerStroke, too many issues to be worth swapping. These are similar to NaviStar's T444 engine, but I'm told there ARE differences. Both are decent engines. Might be able to get a good T444 or DT466 from a boneyard that has stripped a school bus and used its body for storage.
Cummins 6BT seems to be a popular swap, and a proven engine. Not sure if this is the 5.9, but if so, stick with the 12V, the 24Vs are not terrible, but the 12V is much more reliable.
GM's 6.2 diesel gets a bad rap, but if you can find a non-EGR engine (think P20/P30 motorhome), they're not as bad as some think. 1982 red blocks are the best ones to get, due to their higher nickel content in the block.
GM built an 8.2L diesel in the early 80s, but they are an oddball and probably not the best choice due to waning parts availability. Ditto for the 305 V6, should that be what this bus has -- goes without saying for the aforementioned 6-cylinders in the previous post.
One other engine you might consider is an Isuzu 3.9L diesel from a late-model NPR cab-forward truck (popular with delivery services and get decent fuel economy). I'm sure there are more than a few around that have been wrecked and are in decent condition mechanically. An entire donor truck might give you all the modern bits you need to bring it more up-to-date. For that matter, if the wheelbase is the same, you might even consider swapping the body onto the later frame... Chiefly for safety. A 1964 isn't likely to have disc brakes, a later chassis is. Just a thought. And you can likely sell a clean vintage original frame with running gear to a collector or restorer for close to what you might have paid for the bus. You might also consider a body swap for this next option...
Another option for a donor engine/trans swap would be a late-model Class B/C camper. Lots of these around with bad roofs and perfectly good engines and transmissions, and likely a buffet of swappable outfitting bits, especially if the roof hasn't ruined the interior. GM chassis offered 350-454 gassers and 6.2 diesels, Fords usually had 351s and 460s. There are a few Chrysler 440-power variants around as well. You might also see if you can find a wrecked GM or Ford stepvan (think UPS / FedEx truck) as some of these would be a prime candidate for a swap as well. I think some had 4BT and 6BT Cummins. A good donor for a 12V Cummins swap would be a late-model Dodge Ram with the 5.9, but avoid the factory Dodge auto trans with those.
Keep in mind, a small-block gas V8 such as a 351, 350, or 360 will get the job done and are fairly easy to build and swap, but you will be wishing you had a bigger V-8 or diesel every time you fill it up. Smaller engines work harder and burn more fuel in most cases. If you do elect to go with a small-block gasser, stay away from 96+ GM Vortec, the injection systems are a nightmare unless you pony up the extra dough for the marine intake setup, and last I checked, the 96+ Vortec heads do not accept a traditional carburetor-style intake. However, I am told the pre-96 heads WILL bolt to 96+ Vortec blocks.
There are some other gas V-8 options around, but it depends on your use of this bus... If it's something you're going to be driving a lot, I recommend sticking with the above options, they are popular and not hard to find parts for. GM LS swaps are popular with today's hot rodders and allow for six-speed automatic swaps, but I don't recommend this if you're not handy with wiring and troubleshooting.
However, if you're feeling a bit adventurous, there are still quite a few junkyards that have Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Buicks, Lincolns, Chryslers, Plymouths and so-forth with nice big pre-emission gas V8s in prime condition, just waiting to be plucked, and six-speed overdrive auto upgrades can be had to work with most, if not all of them.
Caddy's biggest option was 500, there are also 425, 429, and 472 versions. Pontiac ranged from 326-455 with basically the same block. Oldsmobile had 403, 425 and 455 versions of their big-block, and the 403 found its way into a lot of 70s Buicks as well. Buick offered 400, 430 and 455 CID versions of their big-block, but many shun these engines due to parts availability and oiling system problems that occurred in some engines. The good news with the Buicks is that the oil pump can serviced fairly easily, as it is in the timing cover. Chrysler 440s had a similar arrangement that appears to be less problematic. Lots of old Lincolns and other FoMoCo land yachts came with 429s and 460s that would be a good swap. Dodge 440s are a good swap until roughly mid-to-late 70s models when they thinned the cylinder walls. The 400 SBC has this problem as well.
One last thought -- a 2-stroke Detroit would be bad-ass in a 60s bus, and they run forever, but they're not great on hills, fuel economy wouldn't be all that great and your ears would be ringing for hours after you shut it off. Finding a mechanic that knows what they're dealing with is another can of worms. They DO sound cool though.
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